By-product coke oven



Feb. 28, 1933. c. H. HUGHES 1,399,275

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BY-PRODUCT COKE OVEN Filed Aug. 15, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 11v mvron OMB/.65 bfl/uam BY 44% W A TTORNEYS Feb. 28,1933. c. H. HUGHES BY-PRODUGT COKE OVEN Filed Aug. 13, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Om k N M u INVENTOR 01421.5: fil /0am- A TTORNEYS Feb. 28, 1933. c. H. HUGHES BY-PRODUCT COKE OVEN 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 13, 1926 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES CHARLES HUMPHREY HUGHES, OI HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SEMET-' PATENT OFFICE SOLVAY ENGINEERING CORPORATION, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK BY- IBODUGT COKE OVEN Application filed August 13, 1926. Serial No. 128,051.

This invention relates toby-product coke ovens, and more particularly to by-product coke ovens of the horizontal heating flue ty and to a method of operating by-product co e ovens.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved structure of the class noted heretofore, whereby uniform heating of the coking chambers 0 said ovens may be effected, better regulation of the heat in each oven may be accomplished, and other important advantages to be pointed out hereinafter may be obtained.

A further object of my invention is to provide a method of operatingcoke ovens so that there is a uni-directional flow of the heating gases through the heating flues on bothsides of each coking chamber and through the regenerators to the stack; and that each regenerator preheats the air for the heating flues on both sides of the coking chamber thereover.

My invention further contemplates incorporating means in a by-product coke oven structure whereby air may be introduced locally to the regenerators so as to eliminate costly constructions and operations.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and, in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of my invention taken on the line 11 of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4; Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 33 and 44 respectively of Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on the lines 55 and 66 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 3 respectively; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 77 of Figs. 1 and 2, somewhat diagrammatic, illustrating the flow of the air from the atmosphere to the regenerators, and of the flow of waste products of combustion from the regenerators to the stack flue and stack.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the accompanying drawings.

The battery of ovens is composed of a series of parallel coking chambers 1 with a division wall 2 interposed between adjacent chambers. The coking chambers are provided with the usual charging openings 18 and gas off-take ports 19, as well as other well-known adjuncts andauxiliaries not illustrated in the drawings. Heating or flame flues 3 are formed by a plurality of staggered passes 4 and are arranged on the sides of each chamber so that the gas passes back and forth in horizontal courses or passes traversing substantially the height of the oven. The uppermost pass is positioned at a height well below the coal-line 21 in the coking chambers, so that with the ordinary heat through the flues the roofs 22 of said chambers are maintained at a temperature lower than the cracking temperature of the hydrocarbons evolved at any given moment from the charge of coal or the like. A cross-over connection 5 positioned in each division wall joins the uppermost passes of the heating flues on the opposite sides of said wall and leads the hot gases away from the roofs, thus further aiding the maintenance of the roofs below a cracking temperature. By the use of the cross-over connection a circuitous heating path is provided with a substantially uniform cross-section, so that a uni-directional flow of heating gases may be established in the two thus joined flues and a flow of gas either upward or downward at each side of each coking chamber may be maintained at any given time.

The aforesaid heating flues are supplied with fuel gas from a plurality of burners 7 which PIOJGCt from the walls at each end of the flue into the passes thereof. These burners are connected to a feed pipe 6 whichis secured to the outer wall of the oven.

The heat economizing system, herein depicted as a regenerator of checker-brick construction is located under and is connected with the heating flues on both sides of every coking chamber. In order to reverse the flow through the regenerators, end regenerators 9 like 8 are built at the ends of the oven in the bulk-heads 10 and each of said regenerators 9 is connected to the extreme adjacent heating flue by a riser 30. These regenerators are connected to the heating flues by means of staggered flue-connections 11. The bottom of each regenerator has a plurality of channels 12 formed therein which lead to a manifold chamber 25 and then to a metal conduit 13 in the front wall 23 of the oven. Each conduit has a duplex damper valve 14 at the end thereof which is operated by a crank and link mechanism 50 connected to a control shaft 51 so that the regenerators may be put in communication with either an air port 15 leading to the atmosphere or an exhaust port 16 leading to the chimney or stack flue S. The checker-brick in each regenerator is arranged in such a manner that the frictional resistance to the gases flowing therethro'ugh is substantially constant along the various routes. This constancy of flow may be conveniently accomplished by having the spaces between adjoining bricks increase gradually from a minimum at the end adjacent the air or exhaust port to a maximum at the end having the flue connection. Moreover, I provide each regenerator with a pair of bafiles 55 which cause a circuitous flow of the air or products of combustion through and prevent channeling in each regenerator, so that a uniform flow of said combustion gases or of air occurs in each regenerator, and thus all portions thereof are utilized. By the local introduction of air to the regenerators through air ports 15, it is only necessary to employ one stack flue which is always under suction of the stack or chimney (see Fig. 7). This arrangement eliminates the necessity of flushin or sweeping the waste gases from the stack fine with the incoming air upon each periodic reversal of gas flow in the system as was required heretofore in coke ovens having a central air intake. Furthermore, the main air conduit construction etc. is dispensed with so that not only are the initial construction costs decreased but the operating costs are decreased as well. It is possible with my present battery of by-product coke oven to use a m'uch lower draft to obtain the necessary air and gas circulation than in byproduct coke ovens not embodying my invention.

My improved oven operates with the wellknown periodical reversal of flow of the combustion gases, fuel gas and air. During one period, the duplex damper valves 14 on alternate ovens operated by shaft 51 with associated crank and link mechanism 50 are set so that the regenerators under said ovens are in communication with the atmosphere via the air ports. On the other alternate ovens, the duplex damper valves, likewise operated by shaft 51, are set to close the air ports and to put the associated regenerators in communication with the chimney flue via the exhaust ports. The air enters the air ports of the first set of alternate ovens locally and passes through the hot regenerators, as shown by the full arrows, where it is preheated. At the upper corner 17 of each regenerator the stream of preheated air divides, one portion passing into the heating flues on one side of the coking chamber above said regenerator and the other passing into the fines on the opposite side of the said chamber.

The preheated air then flows through the circuitous heating fiues via the passes thereof, and mixes with the fuel gas lssuing from the burners situated at the entrance to each pass. The flame produced by the burning fuel as stretches from one end of the pass to substantially the other end thereof. By the aforesaid arrangement of burners a substantially contin'uous flame is produced in the heating flues. The combustion of the gas is practically complete by the time the gases reach the cross-over connection in each division wall. After passing through the cross-over connection, the combustion gases flow through the heating fines of the adjacent chambers to the regenerators thereunder, and thence to the chimney fine. It will be noted that by this procedure combustion takes place uniformly, on both sides of alternate coking chambers, and that the hot combustion gases thereafter heat both sides of the adjacent coking chambers, thus effecting a. uniform heating of each chamber. The increased heating efficiency thus obtained decreases the coking time as well as the fuel consumption, thereby decreasing the cost of operation.

After the termination of the first period, the duplex damper valves are reversed, thus causing a reversal of flow of the gases in the ovens. Air now passes throughthe air ports to the regenerators which were heated during the preceding period by the hot combustion gases. After passing through the said regenerators, the air is preheated and is divided into two streams as described heretofore. The fuel gas mixes and burns with the preheated air in the heating fiues associated with the second set of chambers. The hot combustion gases ass through the heating fines of adjacent co ing chambers to the regenerators thereunder through which the incoming air passed during the preceding period. The periodical reversal of flow is repeated as long as the battery of ovens is in operation.

It will be observed that my invention provides a structure in which the cross-over connections and uppermost flues are at a height well below the coal line in the chambers, so that with the ordinary supply of heat through the flues, the roofs of said chambers are maintained at a temperature at any given moment below the cracking temperature of the hydrocarbons in the distillation products evolved from the charge.

It will be further observed that my improved oven only requires one chimney flue which is always under suction, thus causing a uni-directional flow of combustion gases. through the regenerators to the chimney.

It will also be noted that my invention provides a structure in which the air is introduced locally so that lengthy air conduits are eliminated and a much shorter chimney may be used than heretofore.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, it is understood that variations in embodiments might be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The present application is a continuation in part of my application, Serial No. 96,383,-

filed March 22, 1926.

I claim:

1. A battery of by-product coke ovens comprising a series of alternate coking chambers and heating walls therefor arranged side by side in a row, each of said heating walls comprising series-connected horizontal combustion flues, a regenerator beneath each coking chamber connected to the heating flues on opposite sides of each coking chamber, an air conduit leading into each regenerator, each air conduit being independent of and having no common connection with the other air conduits, a single waste gas flue positioned at one side of the row of ovens, a connection leading from each of the regenerators and communicating with said waste gas flue, means for closing one set of alternate air conduits and for opening the connections in said set to the waste gas flue and means for opening the other set of alternate air conduits and for closing the connections of said other set to the waste gas flue.

2. A block of horizontal by-product coke ovens comprising a series of alternate coking chambers and heating walls therefor arranged side by side in a row, each of said heating walls comprising a set of series-connected horizontal combustion flues on each of the two opposite sides of the wall, a crossover connection provided in each of said heating walls to so join the sets of flues situated on opposite sides of each wall as to connect them into a single continuous flue with but two terminals, a regenerator under each coking chamber operatively connected with the terminals of those combustion flues which are contiguous to said chamber, an auxiliary regenerator at each end of said row of ovens operatively connected with the terminals of the combustion flues at each end of the row of ovens, an air conduit leading into each regenerator, each air conduit being independent of and having no common connection with the other air conduits, a single waste gas flue, passages, each of which includes a part of one of the air conduits connecting the waste gas flue with each regenerator into which waste gases from alternate regenerators may flow in a common stream while the remaining regenerators are receivingair each through its independent conduit, a series of valves for closing a set of alternate air conduits and leaving the waste gas passages open and asecond series of valves closing the other set of alternate waste gas passages and leaving the air conduits open. v

3. A battery of by-product coke ovens comprising a series of alternate coking chambers and heating walls therefor arranged side by side in a row, each of said heating walls comprising a series-connected set of horizontal heating flues on each side of each of said chambers, a row of regenera-tors located beneath the chambers extending along the battery, means for operating the alternate regenerators for inflow while the other regenerators are operated for outflow, each of said regenerators being communicably connected with the heating flues on opposite sides of one of the coking chambers adjacent the same, a chimney flue in communication with the regenerators, passageways in communication with the air local to the regenerators, and

means to periodically alternate the flow of gas through alternate regenerator units from a flow wherein the air required for combustion of the fuel gas in the heating flues may be introduced locally to the regenerators connected therewith, to a flow wherein the products of combustion from said heating flues may pass through said regenerators and into the chimney flue.

4. A battery of by-product coke ovens comprising a series of alternate coking chambers V and heating walls therefor arranged side by side in a row, each of said heating walls comprising a set of series-connected horizontal combustion flues on each of the two opposite sides of the wall, a cross-over connection provided in each of said heating walls to so join the sets of flues situated on opposite sides of each wall as to connect them into a single continuous flue with but two terminals, means for establishing a flow of heating gases through the two thus joined flues, and regenerators extending beneath the coking chambers from one end to the other end thereof, communicably connected with thesaid termin als of the thus joined combustion flues.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES HUMPHREY HUGHES. 

